


Complications

by OwlosaurusRex



Series: Metal Gear Drabbles [2]
Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Drabbles, M/M, mgsv spoilers, will update tags as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-29 09:46:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6369931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OwlosaurusRex/pseuds/OwlosaurusRex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabbles that take place between the events of Ground Zeros and The Phantom Pain focusing mainly on the relationship between Kaz and Ocelot. I hope I can capture their characters well enough. Since these are drabbles they'll probably jump around and I'll have some nsfw content at some point.</p><p>Note: I personally believe that Kaz lost his limbs as result of the helicopter accident in Ground Zeroes which is why he doesn't have them at this point. Thought I should mention that since it might be confusing for people who believe otherwise~</p>
            </blockquote>





	Complications

**Author's Note:**

> I hope my characterization isn't too bad in this one. I'll probably go through and edit this again at a later date but for now, here it is.  
> 

This wasn't what Kaz expected when the Russian cat agreed to meet with him. He’d never imagined he’d meet the infamous agent in some upscale restaurant covered in burgundy carpet and upholstery, but there he was. Kaz sat at a table near the center of the large dining room and tapped his fingers against his second gin and tonic. Ocelot was late.

It’d taken months for Kaz to recuperate, to heal, and to relearn the everyday tasks he’d so often taken for granted before the attack and now he was ready. He was ready to get to work and the first order of business--the most important one--was ensuring the Boss’ safety. Zero had assured him this agent was the best man for the job and Kaz had heard the Boss mention him once or twice, but that wasn’t enough to put Kaz’s mind at ease. He needed to meet this Major Ocelot of the GRU, a man Snake met in the sixties and who apparently had an inexplicable hard-on for the Wild West. A man in cowboy boots keeping watch over the Boss….the thought wasn’t very comforting but despite Kaz’s unease, his anger, his pain, he managed to agree to Ocelot’s arrangements.

When Ocelot first told him they’d be meeting in the US, Kaz wasn’t exactly thrilled but he couldn’t afford to argue just yet. He needed to meet the man first, to get a better understanding of him in order to proceed in the best way possible. Kaz hadn’t been able to find much information on him aside from what the Boss and Zero had said. There were a few stories, rumors mostly, that circled around about the Ocelot unit but very little information on the man himself. At least he was thorough.

Thorough, but _late_.

Kaz sighed and took another look at his watch. Nearly 40 minutes past their arranged time and there was still no sign of him. Kaz was starting to suspect that perhaps this was a bad idea. Looking up from where his arm rested on the table, Kaz could make out his men stationed at various tables throughout the restaurant but they offered very little comfort. He believed in them but after having watched everything they’d worked to achieve go up in flames, he had trouble putting any real faith in anything. Or anyone.

Kaz did his best not to let his thoughts get the best of him and worked on steadily draining his drink instead. Even if Kaz didn’t quite approve of the restaurant’s location or its burgundy and brass themes, he had to admit it wasn’t so bad. It had a quiet atmosphere with low, murmured conversations and the occasional song played on a piano tucked away in a corner he couldn’t see. It was a bit too formal--sure, any fancy place would be--but oddly calming at the same time. Then again, maybe he was just tired from his trip. Either way, such a delicate atmosphere was easily disrupted and it was difficult to miss the sudden jangle of...spurs? Oh lord.

Kaz looked out towards the entrance and had little trouble finding Ocelot among the staff and well-dressed patrons. The man was wearing a leather duster, of all things, and those damn cowboy boots that made it impossible not to cause a scene. While Kaz thought his “normal” attire would help him blend in among the crowd, Ocelot didn’t seem to care about turning heads and wasted little time in finding their table.

“Ah, Miller?” Ocelot moseyed on up to their table and gave Kaz a quick once over. He certainly looked different than the old pictures from the sixties Kaz had been able to find. His hair was longer, left to its own devices in pale tufts that curled over his ears, and while his face was just as striking as the pictures, he’d lost some of his youthful qualities. Whatever boyish aspects had been present back then were long gone and yet Kaz didn’t doubt that the man would age gracefully.

Kaz frowned in obvious agitation. “Ocelot. You’re late.”

Ocelot seemed satisfied to get any response at all and settled in the chair across from him, shrugging absently.

“Couldn’t be helped. I’m here now and that’s what matters,” he said as he loosened his red scarf and leaned back in his chair to return Kaz’ obvious staring.

“Yeah, right.” Kaz rolled his eyes behind his aviators and finished off his drink.

From where he sat he could see the lingering flecks of snow that clung to Ocelot’s eyelashes and the pale beginnings of facial hair. Even with a thin mustache, Ocelot didn’t look his age. What kind of male model-cowboy hybrid was this?

“No yellow scarf?” Ocelot arched a brow at him and nodded at Kaz’s coat slung over one of the empty chairs at their table.

“What?”

“You usually wear a yellow scarf, don’t you? You look different without it. I might not have recognized you if you didn’t have those glasses on.”

Right, as if the missing arm wouldn’t have given him away. Kaz felt a brief jab of bitterness at the thought. Learning to live like this was difficult on many levels and even being out among the public put a strain on him. He could feel his limitations weighing him down and didn’t want anyone to see him struggle. He had to work harder, to prove himself, and that would take time. But there were more pressing matters to attend to than his own problems.

Kaz frowned at the realization that Ocelot had been poking around, looking for information on him, and had apparently found something. It wasn’t too surprising, really, but that didn’t keep Kaz from feeling a bit uneasy.

“What are you-?”

“It doesn’t matter, honestly,” Ocelot was quick to interrupt and leaned forward when a waiter came over with two small menus. Kaz barely even glanced at it; too busy trying to figure this guy out. He had a certain arrogance about him that Kaz didn’t appreciate, but, despite his scruffy cowboy facade, it was obvious that he was a complicated man. There was intelligence in those blue eyes and a keenness that threatened to pick him apart.

“This place has really changed since the last time I was here,” Ocelot said after ordering them both drinks and sending the waiter on his way. “Well, it’s been a couple years, though. A lot of things have changed since then.”

“You’ve been here before? A Russian agent eating at some snooty restaurant in the US?”

Ocelot looked vaguely amused by Kaz’s scoffing and lifted a shoulder.

“It wasn’t as nice back then. Or as red,” Ocelot said and scanned the room with narrowed eyes.

Well at least they could both agree that the interior could use some work.

“I thought you communists liked red.”

“Heh, there’s a limit to everything…” Ocelot glanced down as he produced a small cigarette case from inside his coat. “You smoke?”

Kaz shook his head and Ocelot lit up with a plume of smoke. “It’s probably for the best. Nasty habit,” Ocelot mumbled around his cigarette and took up a menu to look it over. “You going to eat something?”

Kaz didn’t even bother looking at the menu. “No.”

“You sure? It’s on me. The least I can do after being late.” Ocelot glanced at him through a thin haze of smoke and Kaz could feel his patience growing thin.

This was...odd. Perhaps it was the casualness of Ocelot’s chatter or maybe it was just the man’s general sense of nonchalance that put Kaz on edge but it didn’t matter either way. Kaz didn’t have time for whatever game Ocelot might be playing. They had business to attend to.

“Listen, I’m not here to chat over a candlelit dinner, I’m here to talk business,” Kaz said firmly and Ocelot smiled then, a small smirk that made Kaz feel as though he was missing something.

“Business, huh? Everything is “business” for you, isn't it?” Ocelot’s amusement evaporated, quickly replaced with a seriousness Kaz hadn’t expected.

“Alright. Let’s talk.” Ocelot set the menu aside and leaned forward over the table, ignoring the waiter when he returned with a fresh gin and tonic and what Kaz could only assume was whiskey. This guy really liked to live up to the cowboy stereotype didn’t he?

Kaz tried to stare the man down from behind his aviators. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, plenty he needed to know and wanted to be sure Ocelot understood, and yet none of that came to mind when he needed it. Everything he’d planned on saying melted into a sudden anxiousness that had him clenching his fist.

“How is he? Is he alright? I mean...his head. Is there lasting damage?” Kaz blurted and realized how childish he must look but he couldn’t help it. He needed to know. He couldn’t see the Boss and couldn’t look after him, so he just needed to know for _certain_ that he was alive somewhere. That there was hope.

Ocelot took a moment to reply, drawing on his cigarette and nodding slowly as if Kaz’s actions answered some sort of question for him. Ocelot was reading him like an open book and Kaz couldn’t pull himself together enough to care at that moment. He just had to know.

“He’s stable. Damage is expected to be minimal but he sustained some lasting injuries.” Ocelot paused, tapping ashes into a small glass ashtray in the center of the table. “Shrapnel got him pretty bad, there’s no telling what sort of affects that will have or when he’ll wake up…but he’s safe.”

Kaz could feel his chest tighten and he was grateful for his glasses more than ever.

“He’s safe and being taken care of. I’m making sure of it.”

“Where?”

“Now Miller, you know I can’t tell you that,” Ocelot said and waved his hand to dismiss the question entirely. “That’s against the rules.”

“Fuck Zero and his “rules”, I know I can be of help and…” Kaz ground his teeth and looked down. “I want to see him.”

“Well, that’s too bad,” Ocelot said bluntly and dragged the ashtray closer.

“But, I can--”

“Listen Miller, and listen good. The best way for you to “help” right now is to leave the Boss to me.”

“Fuck you, you don’t know me and you don’t know what I can and cannot do for Snake,” Kaz hissed and leaned closer over the table, his heart pounding in his ears with the growing pressure of rage.

Ocelot looked thoroughly unamused. “You can be angry all you want but it doesn’t change anything and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you can _actually_ help.” Ocelot met Kaz’s obvious challenge head on and blew smoke in his face as he spoke. “I’m not the bad guy here. I want the best for the Boss just like you do so just let me do my job.”

Kaz scowled at the acrid scent of smoke and refused to cough. He wouldn’t give Ocelot the satisfaction.

“Your job?” Kaz took in a deep breath despite the smoke and managed to even out his voice to a tense whisper. “And who the fuck are you, huh, to have such a job?”

Ocelot was unfazed and even looked annoyed by Kaz’s arguing. “Me? I’m a friend of Snake’s and that’s all you need to know. This isn’t about you, Miller. This isn’t about making you feel better or convincing you that this is the right course of action because it doesn’t _matter_ if you agree.” Ocelot reached out and squashed his cigarette in the ashtray without looking away from Kaz. “This is how things are going to be and you’re going to have to get used to it.”

Kaz couldn’t believe this. This man, this fucking cowboy had the nerve to talk to him like that. Kaz had been with the boss for years now, by his side through thick and thin while this Russian bastard was nowhere to be seen. And Ocelot had the _gall_ to dismiss him like that? It was all Kaz could do to keep from lunging at him and he was actually a little glad when Ocelot continued talking lest he give Kaz the opportunity to say something stupid. As angry as Kaz was, he still had to play nice. Ocelot was his only link to the Boss after all.

Ocelot sighed and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. “Right, so now that we have that out of the way, I’d like to be clear on your place in all of this.” Ocelot paused to take a sip of his drink. “You plan on rebuilding that little setup you had before, right? An army without borders…you plan on getting revenge.”

It took a few moments for Kaz to settle down enough to speak and when he did it was with a definite tone of resentment. “Yes. I’ll rebuild it all and make Cipher pay for what they did.”

Ocelot stared at Kaz intently as he spoke and smiled at the venom in Kaz’s voice. “Good. That’s what I like to hear.” With that Ocelot nodded as though his agreement was some sort of seal of approval. “The men that did this--that hurt the Boss…they have to answer for what happened.”

The firmness of Ocelot’s voice and the momentary grim frown that tugged at his lips offered Kaz a brief feeling of camaraderie. He could see the shadow of pain in those cold eyes, pain and a lethal rage simmering just below the surface that was all too familiar.

“I’m working on it,” Kaz said after a few moments of tense silence. “I’ve got a few men, a few jobs, but it’s slow going.”

Ocelot nodded again and took a bigger gulp of his drink.

“That’s understandable. But I’ve heard about you and your way of business, Miller,” Ocelot said and finally leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “If anyone can make it work, you can, and I’ll help. We’re on the same team, here, after all.” Ocelot offered a mirthless smile. “So we’d better get used to working together, huh?”

Kaz scoffed at that. “Yeah. Sure.”

Ocelot smirked at Kaz’s bitter grumbling and looked out at the dining hall to wave down a waiter. It wasn’t surprising that the waiting staff had avoided their table, Kaz’s scowling alone would be enough to repel most people, but eventually their waiter from before appeared and tried not to look nervous when Ocelot spoke.

“Hm. You like fish, Miller?”

Kaz frowned at him. “What?”

“Alright, I think we’ll have two orders of this and, uh, whatever this stuff is on top—I don’t want it on mine. Thanks.” Ocelot reached across the table to scoop up Kaz’s menu and handed them to the waiter who wasted little time in leaving.

“What are you doing?”

“Whaddya mean? I’m ordering food. I’m starving,” Ocelot said matter-of-factly.

“You ordered for me.”

“Yeah, the fish looks pretty good and since you didn’t even try to find something I took the liberty of deciding for you.”

“Seems to be a habit of yours,” Kaz mumbled to himself and rubbed at his eyes beneath his glasses.

“What’s that?”

“Nothing. But, I don’t plan on sticking around to eat.”

“Sure you do,” Ocelot said and shrugged. “I mean, we’re going to have to get used to dealing with each other, right?” He waved his hands out to encompass the restaurant as if this was a perfect example of that. “Might as well start now.”

“Right…” Kaz couldn’t help but huff a little at how quickly this man could shift gears and manipulate a conversation. One minute Kaz wants to sock him in the jaw and the next they’re eating dinner together? Kaz would have to be careful from here on out. This Ocelot was craftier than he looked.

Ultimately Kaz shrugged. “Well, I don’t see why I should pass up the opportunity, since you’re paying.”

Ocelot smiled with a flash of teeth that was a little too attractive for Kaz’s liking. Kaz wasn’t sure how he was going to survive working with this joke of a cowboy but he held on to some small scrap of hope that maybe it wouldn’t be _completely_ miserable. If he could get the cat to smile like that more often and keep his mouth shut, he was sure they wouldn’t have any problems.

“That’s the spirit,” Ocelot said and dragged his chair up a little closer to the table. “Now, tell me about this 'Mother Base' of yours.”


End file.
